Reflections of Jim

Jim has evolved into a protective lamb guardian.  He goes everywhere with them now.  When they were with the ewes, Jim did not give a whit if they were in another pasture without him.  Lately, if they move to another pasture to graze, Jim wigs out. 

Since he has been behaving himself I let him in the yard to graze with the lambs before I mow. 

Yesterday, Jim discovered the large glass door on the back of the house & his handsome reflection. 

Today, I had to clean the spit off the window. 

Silly Mice & Peeved Jim

Wednesday afternoon at the farm I took all the sheep out of the night pasture with Brynn while John pulled the truck in to drop a round bale & do a little clean up.

 

When we were down in the lower field we were doing exercises that do not require the ewes to run in their pregnant state.  

 

Lots of slow and steady. 

Walking, not running, emphasis on pace and flow.  

When Brynn got a bit squirrely I backed her off and let her think for a few minutes.  

 

I tried to shoot some pictures on my iPhone to relax, focus my thoughts and let Brynn settle down a little.  

 

 

The sheep were mulling about. 

 

 

 

 

I love the Romney ewes faces.  They are so sweet. 

 

Then I saw several of the ewes looking down with the noses to the ground following something in the grass.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little creature dart through the grass at the edge of the water, then another and another. 

 

 

 

 

FIELD MICE!  They were everywhere.  Hopping around each time the sheep would move popping up like corn kernels in hot oil.  I started giggling.  Brynn thought we were playing a game, started circling the sheep like a lunatic.  Sheep were circling me, I was trying to get Brynn back out and lie down and there were field mice hopping all over the place under the sheep, over my feet.  

 

 

We must stopped right on top of a nest and they made a break for it.  

 

Note to self:  Sheep seem to enjoy field mice.  Enough to completely ignore the dog.  Dog goes batty when you giggle.  Wait, didnt I learn that at Fire Ridge?  Giggling speeds Brynn up into a frenzy.  'Doh.  

Later after feeding the sheep and letting them lose into the 'hay hut', Jim got a bit peevish with the sheep.  I am going to have to figure out something different for the round bale.  Me thinks Jim is guarding it and not letting some of the sheep eat.  The stinker.  

As he was standing there being a brat I told him to knock it off, then he hurled a big loogie at Sherman followed by a peeved llama chortle.  I took a step toward him and he hit me with 'that look'.  

 

He has not spit at me yet, and today was not going to be the first time.  

The mother in me bowed up like a Halloween cat.  I wagged my finger in his face and said in my stern, brook no nonsense voice "Dont you even THINK about it Buster".  

He blinked, paused, gave me a goofy, ashamed look.  Wiggled his ears, batted his eye lashes.  

And said he was sorry.  

Or was judging the trajectory for a glob of spit.  One will never know...

Jim & Sheepy Rambling

After the dreary rainy days the blue skies and picturesque view of Mt Rainier was a welcome site today. 

Mt Rainier from Enumclaw, WA

Jim is perking up since loosing Mama.  We were a bit late getting to the pasture today and he was not impressed.  Jim was waiting in the hay shelter, talking in his llama language "It's about time you got here!"

Doesn't he have the cutest smile?

Some how he has figured out that I am doing something with my phone, and it involves him and looking handsome.  I swear he is posing. 

Llamas are innately curious creatures.  Jim leans in for a close up.   I yanked my phone away right before he tried to eat it. 

Nice look you have going on there Jim. 

He enjoys his orchard/timothy grass.  

Jim is an attention hog. 

John has a routine with Jim.  It involves food and lots of scratching.

Scratching the neck, the back, the ears. Jim sucks it up.  

We have worked hard at getting him used to being handled. 
His antics are an endless source of giggles.  

Tulip, one of my first ewe lambs has grown into an incredible pest.  

I have NO idea why.

 

She quite resourceful. Eating the grass off the backs of the other sheep.  

She is too cute for her own good.  While she is adorable, I will not be buying any more hair sheep.  Tulip and her mother Daisy are it.  Obviously their lambs will be primarily for meat.  They do not have a place in my breeding program, other than I have them and will give them a good life.  Unless Tulip sucks as a mother...in that case she will be downgraded to the 'working' group until she is culled. 

This is Esther, one of the 4 registered Romneys from Bullock's.  She believes she must shove her entire head into the feeder and eat from the other side.  

 

She is the biggest ewe we have.  Her head is massive - as you can see compared to the clun forest ewe on the right & the katahdin/dorper on the left.  

 

She feels she must put her entire front end into the feeder, feet and all.  

My favorite ewe lamb, Baby - the brown rambouillet has been growing leaps & bounds.  Her fleece is amazing & I already have a buyer for it after shearing.  I have several people who want the Border Leicester fleece too, although I am not sure what the condition will be in.  I have learned a lesson with the feeder - I need to make sure next year to not feed them in a way they can get the food in their fleece.   I am putting coats on several of them next year to protect the fleece.  I plan on spinning much of it myself. 

I might have to change Baby Behemoth's name to Sweetheart.  She has a perfectly shaped heart on the top of her head. 

The farm where I bought Baby/Sweetheart has offered me her father and aunt for sale.  I am not able to take on the ram at this time, but he is a very handsome black rambouillet.  Baby's mother and aunt are natural colored ewes.  I am considering purchasing her aunt, who will be lambing in March.  This entire flock has done very well in the wet climate here in the PNW, absolutely no sign of foot rot or other issues ramboillet's can have in a wetter climate. 

This is Piglet and Maimie.  Two columbia/rambouillet ewes.  Can you tell which one is Piglet?  Hint, she looks like a pig. 

 
At feeding time I like to walk around behind them to check their weights and other things.  The other day I was able to trim all the dingleberries off the backside of the Border Leicester ewe lamb and she didn't even notice.  So much less stressful than penning them and flipping them.  

At this time it looks like we will be lambing out 21 ewes & all the anticipated  lambs are spoken for.  We were also offered a couple neighbor pastures to graze at no charge, I can easily trail the sheep back and forth, they just want help keeping the grass down. Once I get a trailer we have several options for hauling sheep out to work on large fields near-by.  Yeah!   

I'm loving our life. Living my dream.  What could be better?

Jim the Llama & Mama

¿Como se llama? 

Yo llamo Jim, el Llama. 

Don't mess with me.

I might spit.

Big honkin' loogies o'slime

I don't spit at Camera Face or John, because I like them.  Once I got to know the dogs and found out they weren't gonna hurt my girls, I leave them alone too.  

I am a nice llama. 

I take care of my homegirls.

With Mama at my side.  My Mama is not a llama.

Mama, the Black Belly ewe is queen of my field.  I like older women. 

Even though she don't have but three teeth in her head, I let her think she is in charge.  That's the way to keep old girl happy.

Mama watches closely when the dogs work the girls.  

She often bellows her displeasure from the night pasture - making sure they all know she is rootin' for them to win.  

We take care of our flock. 

Mama decides our schedule.  When we should be eatin' and when we should be sleepin'.   It works best that way.  I learned not to argue, she is loud and it hurts my ears when she yells. 

It is hard work taking care of all these ladies.  They tell me there are more ladies coming soon.  I want a raise.

Sometimes a dude just has to get away.  

When they aren't watching, I make my move.  

The coast is clear, no one followed me. 

Time to hide.  

I need a break. Them ladies talk and talk and talk and talk... 

If I play my cards right I can take a nice long nap, free of nosey ewes.  

Peace. 

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz